10 Polish Fun Facts You May Not Have Known

Each country has fun little tidbits of information that set it apart from others. Poland is no exception, except it’s often not the first country that comes to people’s minds.

Here are 10 fun facts about Poland you may not have known about–no particular order. If even one or two of them surprise you, I’ll consider my mission accomplished.

1. At 2,120.7 ft tall, the Warsaw Radio Tower was the second-tallest man-made structure ever built.

2. Not counting Russia, Poland is Europe’s 8th largest country in both population and land area.

3. At its peak in the early 17th century, Poland, along with its partner Lithuania, controlled 450,000 square miles. That’s roughly 3.7 times its current size.

4. Many consider the Polish constitution of 1791 to be the world’s second oldest—after the United States.

5. Malbork Castle in Poland is the largest castle in the world by surface area.

6. The Polish flag is the exact opposite of the Indonesian flag.

7. Poland is one of the world’s most Catholic countries—92.2% of Poles follow the religion, according to a Pew Research poll.

8. There are an estimated 60 million Polish people in the world. More than one third of them live outside Poland.

9. Mount Rysy is the highest point in Poland, standing at 8,199 feet.

10. Poland’s Białowieża Forest is one of Europe’s last primeval forests and the last remaining home of European bison.